In the past many systems and processes have been devised in order to remove hydrocarbons due to various oil spills on water and land with various degrees of effectiveness.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,367 to Needham is directed to a process for recovering oil in an oil bearing subterranean strata using steam at temperatures and pressures which minimize damage to the tubing and casings of the apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,496 to Kryer concerns recovery of oil from mined oil sand, such as tar and bituminous sands. U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,227 to Cohen is directed to a process for managing ground water which has been contaminated with hydrocarbons, such as petroleum products, and one of the methods described is the removal of contaminated soil with a subsequent soil treatment, which is not particularly set forth.
The present invention relates to a system using an oil reclamation processor which has an assembly directed toward handling of solid materials such as pit sludge, well cuttings, tar sands and soils contaminated by surface spills.
It is a principal object of the present invention to excavate the contaminated soil and reclaim the hydrocarbons therein while detoxifying the soil so that it may be reused for general fill, for example for road or general excavation use.
It is a further object of the present invention to transport the decontaminated soil from an excavation site into a soil processor whereby the petroleum mixed in with the soil is extracted and delivered to a tanker for reuse, while the soil passes through a further processor wherein the toxic elements remaining in the soil are removed and the decontaminated soil material is transported to an area accessible for removal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement whereby contaminated feed stock can be accelerated or decelerated for the proper distillation of the feed stock, which varies with the petroleum content of the soil.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an operating fuel with proper emission controls for cleaning exhaust fumes in order to meet EPA requirements of the United States.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a soil decontamination processor which is housed on a trailer bed for quick dispatch to any location wherein a cleanup is desired.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide means for testing the soil material periodically in order to maintain quality control.
In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood it will now be disclosed in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein the sole Figure shows an oil decontamination processor assembly in which contaminated soil is placed into the system and the petroleum therein is recovered while the soil is processed and detoxified, and in which the remaining soil may be disposed of as a general fill for road or excavation use all in accordance with the teachings of my invention.